Junior Years Report
A Terrific Term for Our Junior Students
What a fantastic term it has been for our junior students, with so much to celebrate!
Our Year 7 students recently returned from their camp at Cave Hill Creek, and we are incredibly proud of the way they stepped outside their comfort zones and embraced every challenge across the three days. Their resilience, enthusiasm and willingness to try new experiences were truly commendable.
We would also like to congratulate our Year 7–9 students for consistently demonstrating our school values of Commitment, Excellence, Respect and Teamwork. It has been wonderful to see these values in action throughout the term, and our staff have recognised many of these positive behaviours through Success Passes.
So far this year, students have achieved:
- Year 7: 1707 Success Passes
- Year 8: 1192 Success Passes
- Year 9: 1302 Success Passes
This is a fantastic achievement and reflects the strong culture of effort and respect within our junior school.
Another area of celebration has been the high standard students are showing in our college-wide entry routines. We thank our students for consistently lining up outside classrooms in two lines and waiting for their teacher before entering calmly and in an orderly manner.
These routines are making a significant contribution to a positive and focused learning environment. Keep up the great work, everyone - we are very proud of you all!
We look forward to heading to GMHBA Stadium with all Year 7 - 9 students on the first day back of term two, Monday 20th April, for a workshop led by The Resilience Project. This is a free event so we ask that all families kindly consent to the excursion on Compass if they haven’t already done so.
Finally, we would like to extend our appreciation to the families who are working with us to support maximum attendance. Well done to the following students who have 100% attendance in term one:
Year 7: Harvey B, Logan B, Flynn C, Phoenix C, Quinton G, Zavier H, Archie H, Ruk L, Zac L,
Amy M, Pippa N, Keely N, Thomas S, David S, Sapphire S, Levi S, Elissa V, Hugo W
Year 8: Kiara D, Matthieu E, Sunny G, Jordan W, Joe W
Year 9: Jamison C, Piper D, Jack M, Charlie S, Josh S
Wishing all of our families a restful Easter break filled with lots of family connection, relaxation and of course, chocolate!
Lana Ryder on behalf of the Junior Subschool
Year 7 Camp
We are incredibly proud of the way our students supported one another, demonstrated resilience and contributed to such a positive camp environment at our camp last week at beautiful Cave Hill Creek in Beaufort. Students enjoyed a wonderful camp experience, where they stepped outside their comfort zones and truly lived our school values of commitment, excellence, respect and teamwork.
Students embraced new experiences and challenges with enthusiasm, participating in activities such as the possum glider swing, canoeing, abseiling, the vertical challenge and the high ropes course. Evenings were filled with connection and fun, including a lively trivia night, a night walk and marshmallow toasting around the fire.
A sincere thank you to the staff who attended and supported students throughout the experience, and to our families for investing in this valuable extracurricular opportunity. A big thanks also to Brenton Hodges for organising the camp for our Year 7 students.
Lana Ryder
Junior Years Leader
Year 8 Camp
Just a few weeks ago, we spent a few days up in Warrnambool for our wonderful Warra Gnan Coastal Camp, where we engaged in a multitude of incredible activities such as fishing, kayaking, bike education, and almost everyone’s favourite - surfing! We also had two night time activities which were mini golf and a choice of a night walk or a movie. The staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming which we applaud them for.
One of the dry activities we did at camp was fishing. We would gather a fishing rod, stand by the bank or on the bridge, and wait for a long time for the fish to take our bait (pippies and shrimp). It was a long wait but it was worth braving the cold to catch a few fish even if we did have to return them to the wild after catching them.
In one of our water activities, we took to the Murray River in pairs on a kayak and took a nice row down the stream. We engaged in little races and games as we traveled further down the Murray River, and enjoyed the natural scenery of Warrnambool. Sure, some people capsized or got a wet bottom, but it was all worth it in the end - even if you had to take a shower afterwards!
Another one of the activities that we experienced was biking education. We first had to pick our bikes and get a bit comfortable with riding. Then we were off. There were a lot of ups and downs along the ride and after we passed a certain point, we had a choice to turn back or keep going uphill to a nice park. Then the most fun part was going downhill with the wind in our hair. This was definitely a camp to remember.
One of the other night activities we did was on the more chill side. We got the choice to pick a movie, a night walk or karaoke. It was very nice and it gave us some time to wind down before bed and bond with others.
The first surfing lesson was incredible! We got to wear wet suits, then we learnt safety rules and how to get on the board. We brought our boards to the water and started to surf; some people stood up on their boards and some just swam.
One of the night activities was mini golf; it was amazing. There were eighteen holes and some people scored a hole in one. It wasn’t that cold and it was a good night activity as the sun isn't in your eyes.
Thank you to all the staff at the camp and from our school as we all had a great time. The activities were super fun, we made new friends as well as a lot of new memories! The camp was incredible and we encourage next year cohort to give it a go. It was absolutely worth it.
Written by Year 8 Student Leaders,
Matthieu Ellaga, Bella Cahir & Savannah Capuano.
SWPBS Bronze Award Recognition
We are very proud to announce we have again been recognised by the Department of Education for our implementation of the School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) framework. In 2025, the college moved from Blue level to Bronze level acknowledgement. Within the SWPBS framework, Blue recognises foundational implementation, while Bronze recognises the consistent application of positive behaviour practices across the school. There are 4 tiers of implementation, with Silver and Gold ahead of us. Schools can only progress one level at a time, and implementing SWPBS with fidelity is typically a 4–5 year journey for schools. We are pleased with the progress we are making and are continuing to build on these strong foundations. We are also very proud of our students for how they have responded to key SWPBS initiative including our Responding to Behaviour flowchart, Positive Recognition and College-wide Routines.
This recognition reflects the work happening every day in our classrooms and learning spaces by both our staff and student. These approaches help create a calm and orderly, supportive learning environment where students can learn and feel successful.
Thank you to our staff, students and families for your ongoing support in helping us create a positive and supportive school community.
Josh Walker
Leader of SWPBS & SVAL
Year 7 Food Studies
Incursions and Excursions Update
Dear Families and Carers,
As we look ahead to next term, we are pleased to share a range of incursions and excursions that will support and enrich student learning across the curriculum.
These experiences have been carefully selected to complement classroom programs and provide students with engaging, hands-on opportunities to deepen their understanding, build confidence, and connect their learning to the wider world.
Throughout the term, students will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities designed to enhance learning in areas. These may include visiting performances, educational workshops, cultural experiences, sporting clinics, and local excursions.
We know that these opportunities are often among the most memorable parts of the school year, and we are excited to offer experiences that are both educational and enjoyable.
Further information about each incursion and excursion — including dates, exact costs (if applicable), permission requirements, and what students may need to bring will be shared with families in the coming weeks via the Compass portal.
We encourage you to keep an eye on school communications and your child’s year level updates so that important information and permission forms are completed by the required deadlines.
Thank you for your continued support in helping us provide rich and meaningful learning opportunities for all students. We look forward to an exciting and rewarding term ahead.
Year 7
Maths
Local excursion - playground layout analysis $0
Wellbeing
Batforce - Online Safety $0
Bunji - Social Emotional Learning (Select students) $0
____________________________________________________________________________
Year 8
Languages
Indonesian Consulate Visit and Restaurant $20
Wellbeing
Consent Labs - Consent In the Digital World workshop $0
The Workshop (Select students) $0
____________________________________________________________________________
Year 9
Camp
City Camp Urban Experience $460
Languages
Indonesian Consulate Visit and Restaurant $20
Wellbeing
Consent Labs- Consent In the Digital World workshop $0
The Workshop (Select students) $0
____________________________________________________________________________
Year 10
HAPE
ODE Camp $Incl. Levy
ODE Mountain Bike Excursion $Incl. Levy
ODE Indoor Rockclimbing $Incl. Levy
ODE Fish and Release Excursion $Incl. Levy
Careers
Year 10 DEAP uni immersion day $20
Wellbeing
Consent Labs - Healthy Relationships workshop $0
Consent Labs -Your Money Matters Workshop $0
Financial Literacy (presented by Meli)
____________________________________________________________________________
Year 11
VCE VM
Trade and Tech Fit Career Expo $0
Mindfullaus $0
Gym $10
Foodhandlers Certificate $80
Barista Course $195
Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) $75
HAPE
ODE Camp Hike/Rafting $150
Serendip Wildlife data collection walk $0
Science
Physics - Engineering Industry Exposure $15
Careers
Citipower careers $0
Australian Defense Force (ADF) presentation $0
Pathways
Elevate Education $0
ARTS
Top Arts $6
____________________________________________________________________________
Year 12
Humanities
Business Management - Great Ocean Road
Chocolaterie Operations $50
Legal Studies - Magistrates’ Court Excursion $15
HAPE
Deakin VCE Sports Science $0
Science
Physics - Engineering Industry Exposure $15
Psychology - Melbourne Zoo $30
VCE VM
Trade and Tech Fit Career Expo $0
Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie Operations $50
Gym $10
Foodhandlers Certificate $80
Barista Course $195
Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) $75
ARTS
Top Arts $6
Wellbeing
Consent Labs - Your Money Matters Workshop- Financial Literacy (presented by Meli) $10
____________________________________________________________________________
ConnectEd
Project
You Yangs - Mountain Bike $0
You Yangs - Mountain Bike $0
You Yangs - Mountain Bike $0
HAPE
Lara Health and Fitness session $0
Lara Health and Fitness session $0
Fort Visit $0
Fort Visit $0
____________________________________________________________________________
Academy Events (costs included in Academy levy)
Cricket
Junior Cricket Academy - Winter Indoor Program (4 x sessions)
Junior Cricket Academy - Indoor Cricket Competition (year 7-9)
Senior Cricket Academy - Indoor Cricket Competition (year 10-12)
Rugby
Geelong Grammar
Wednesday May 6th Lara vs Melton 1st XV
Thursday May 21st Grange vs Lara 1st XV [Boys]
Wednesday June 3rd Lara vs Sunshine 1st XV
Monday Aug 10th/24th Finals
Wednesday May 27th Lara vs Grange U15
Wednesday June 17th Lara vs Sunshine U15
Wednesday July 22nd Melton vs Lara U15 [Boys]
Monday Aug 17th/31st Finals
Thursday July 30th Grange vs Lara 1st XV [Girls]
Monday 7th September Rugby 7's carnival
Every Day Counts: The Importance of School Attendance
At Lara Secondary College, we know that every day at school matters. Daily attendance helps students make the most of learning, friendships and opportunities that shape their future.
We understand there are times when your child may need to miss school. To help minimise disruption, please consider scheduling family holidays or medical appointments outside of school hours. If your child is feeling worried about friendships, schoolwork or exams, coming to school is the best way to get support — staying home can make worries feel bigger.
If your child is finding it hard to attend, please reach out to their Year Level Coordinator or Sub School Leader — we’re here to help. And remember to let us know about any absences promptly via Compass.
For more information about the importance of everyday attendance, see Attendance and Missing School.
Remember, Every Day Counts.
Brylee McNamara - Junior Years Assistant Principal
